LECLOEREC, KOSTIN LEAD VCU AWARD WINNERS AT CAA BANQUET
4-20-06
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University junior Arnaud Lecloerec (Plouhinec, France) (pictured) picked up his second straight Colonial Athletic Association Co-Player of the Year award, while head coach Paul Kostin earned Coach of the Year honors, at the league’s awards banquet Thursday.
Lecloerec, who shared his award with Old Dominion freshman Harel Srugo, has fashioned a 23-8 singles record this season for the Rams and is currently ranked 16 th nationally. Additionally, Lecloerec, an All-American in 2005, has nine wins over ranked opponents this season in singles play. He is also 14-7 overall in doubles matches. The junior’s 23 singles wins this year have him climbing the VCU career list. In three seasons Lecloerec has 70 victories, good for 10 th place.
For Kostin, it was his eighth CAA Coach of the Year citation on the men’s side. The Stockholm, Sweden native has led VCU to a 22-4 mark this year, including a current 12-match winning streak, and a No. 12 national ranking. The Rams have earned the No. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament. In his 16 seasons in Richmond, Kostin has led the Rams’ men’s squad to a 349-86 record and has VCU eyeing a 14 th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
In addition to Lecloerec and Kostin, the Black and Gold managed to haul in a host of other awards.
Joining Lecloerec on first team was sophomore Alex Israel (Marseille, France), who earned a singles nod, and junior Petr Olsak (Novy Jicin, Czech Republic), who formed one of the three first team doubles squads with Lecloerec.
VCU junior Sergi Arumi (Barcelona, Spain) collected second team honors on the singles side for the second straight year. He also teamed with senior Francesc Lleal (Barcelona, Spain) to take second team in doubles. Earlier this season, Lleal and Arumi became the winningest doubles pair in VCU history.
Three Rams, Olsak, Lleal and sophomore Damien Lacombe (Perigueux, France) were also named All-CAA Third Team Singles.
VCU begins its quest for a 10 th CAA Championship in 11 years on Friday, April 21 when it battles ninth-seeded Hofstra in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. at the Huntington Park Tennis Center in Newport News, Va.
2006 ALL-CAA MEN’S TENNIS TEAM
First Team
Singles
Arnaud Lecloerec, VCU Jr. Plouhinec, France
Harel Srugo, Old Dominion Fr. Kibutz Gazit, Israel
Martin Stiegwardt, Georgia State Jr. Quito, Ecuador
Eidy Igarashi, Old Dominion So. Sao Jose do Rio Prieto, Brazil
Colin O’Brien, William & Mary Jr. Dublin, Ireland
Alex Israel, VCU So. Marseille, France
Doubles
Arnaud Lecloerec, VCU Jr. Plouhinec, France
Petr Olsak, VCU Jr. Novy Jicin, Czech Republic
Harel Srugo, Old Dominion Fr. Kibutz Gazit, Israel
Aleksandr Seleznev, Old Dominion Fr. Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Martin Stiegwardt, Georgia State Jr. Quito, Ecuador
Anze Cevka , Georgia State So. Kamnik, Slovenia
Second Team
Singles
Nikola Djordjevic, Hofstra Sr. Belgrade, Serbia
Caio Piacentini, UNC Wilmington Jr. Sao Paolo, Brazil
Henrique Cancado, Old Dominion Jr. Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Stephen Ward, William & Mary Sr. Douglaston, N.Y.
Sergi Arumi, VCU Jr. Barcelona, Spain
Aleksandr Seleznev, Old Dominion Fr. Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Doubles
Alex Cojanu, William & Mary So. Hallandale, Fla.
Billy Mulligan, William & Mary Fr. Miami, Fla.
Henrique Cancado, Old Dominion Jr. Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Eidy Igarashi, Old Dominion So. Sao Jose do Rio Prieto, Brazil
Francesc Lleal, VCU Sr. Barcelona, Spain
Sergi Arumi, VCU Jr. Barcelona, Spain
Third Team
Singles
Alex Cojanu, William & Mary So. Hallandale, Fla.
Petr Olsak, VCU Jr. Novy Jicin, Czech Republic
Francesc Lleal, VCU Sr. Barcelona, Spain
Jesse Tarr, James Madison So. Midlothian, Va.
Damien Lancombe, VCU So. Perigueux, France
Nejc Podkrajsek , Georgia State Fr. Zalec, Slovenia
Doubles
Jesse Tarr, James Madison So. Midlothian, Va.
John Snead, James Madison Sr. Richmond, Va.
Dennis Myers, UNC Wilmington Jr. Charlotte, N.C.
Grant Holland, UNC Wilmington Jr. Charlotte, N.C.
Nikola Djordjevic, Hofstra Sr. Belgrade, Serbia
Luka Djordjevic, Hofstra So. Belgrade, Serbia
2006 CAA Co-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Arnaud Lecloerec, VCU
Harel Srugo, Old Dominion
2006 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Harel Srugo, Old Dominion
2006 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR: Paul Kostin, VCU
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